Bravo Adam Silver

He stood up and shot him down without hesitation

Link:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-bans-donald-sterling-for-life--fines-him--2-5-million-for-racial-comments-181803437.html

Goodbye and good riddance. A major step forward as Commissioner for Silver.

Sam

Donald Sterling and Pete Rose could form a rock group called Band For Life.

Great way to meet this challenge head-on. I applaud him for it.

Now, if only we can end the coddling of star players.


KJ

Never KJ, they will never let that happen

Truly a vile individual who made reprehensible statements, I'm a bit bothered that the league took action using a conversation that took place in this individuals home that was recorded without his knowledge.

Kyle,

An organization/business has different jurisdiction than our legal system. The NBA has the power to expel anyone associated with them that they deem unfit to conduct business with. In fact, pretty much any business can do that.

Let's say someone posts disparaging comments about their boss or makes racial slurs about fellow employees on their own social media account and someone in management catches wind of it even though they don't have direct access to view the page. Anything that is said or written has been given tangible life and cannot be taken back, and it's open to any consequences.


KJ

KyleCleric wrote:Truly a vile individual who made reprehensible statements, I'm a bit bothered that the league took action using a conversation that took place in this individuals home that was recorded without his knowledge.

Agreed on all points....

There are times in life where the ends justify the means. My only problem is that this woman set him up, why? Isn't he worth more to here if she keeps quiet, no, obviously he had gone too far.

Please don't tell me you think a man like this should be able to continue owning this team? It is time they finally get him out.

Rosalie, as far as having to resort to "the ends justifies the means," I don't think that is necessarily the case.

One of the most prominent issues raised is that the recording was a violation of Sterling's privacy, that he should have an expectation of privacy when speaking in a private home. But I have seen multiple reports that he knew he was being recorded, so that takes much of the steam out of that issue for me. When you acknowledge that you're being recorded, you acknowledge that this recording may someday become public. I think he knew he was being recorded but didn't think that his comments were racist or wrong.

Another issue raised is that it's wrong to force him to step away from the business he owns and even more wrong to force him to sell it. But it isn't just his business; it's a franchise, and he is one of 30 franchisees, and he can be forced out in the same way that that a franchise owner of a fast food or other enterprise could be forced out for making such repugnant comments.

I don't know or care if the woman "set him up," but if she did, she only prompted him to open the tap on his thoughts. She didn't force him to think that way or to say what he said. Sterling knew there was a serious issue with the woman because his wife had initiated a lawsuit against her to recover the property and cars that Sterling had given her, and if he is stupid enough to talk that way and be knowingly recorded under those circumstances and think his money and lawyers would solve any problem that might come up, then he is basically asking for what he got.

Even trying to separate myself emotionally from the racial issues and examine the issues that have been raised in Sterling's defense, I don't see that his privacy or other rights have been violated.

I get sick of people who commit heinous deeds being able to hide behind safeguards that are intended to prevent unjust things from happening. Regardless of legalities, this is a scurrilous person who has been exposed as such. I hope the rest of his days are marred by that fact.

Sam